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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. wax — to grow
  6. object — a thing
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. object — to protest
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stock — goods
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. object — an aim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com